Dream Spa

Pay it forward nonsense?

TeeJay

Well-known member
Jun 20, 2011
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There is a big difference between volunteering to give a donation and being asked to pay for some other persons food.
Yeah exactly

If you feel dickish taking a free coffee you can easily drop a $5 in charity box
I wouldn't but I know some people get pressured and all so there are alternatives
 

HungSowel

Well-known member
Mar 3, 2017
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Sometimes two people are stuck in a "nice" loop, and a way to exit the loop is to say "just pay it forward"

Recently I had the most pleasant customer in the UK, he bought my product, there was an issue with the product and I replaced it, to me that is just normal business practice to ensure your customer gets what they paid for. He was so nice, he wanted to send me something as a gift, but I just told him to pay it forward.
 

explorerzip

Well-known member
Jul 27, 2006
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Out of all this nonsense one person might benefit and half get screwed as they have to pay more than they had to. It's a zero sum game. If it happens to me I will be the person to get the free coffee. The place I eat breakfast tried something like this, you could pay for a bumbs breakfast, the bumbs wouldn't leave the restaurant, would ask for the money instead of the meal. In the drive through you're supposedly paying it forward for people that don't really need it, what's the point?
What’s happening with the OPs story is some people will get stiffed, taken advantage of, feel like they are being manipulated and at the end of it will be turned off to actually paying it forward when they want to. They will actually resist the urge when it comes and this kind of thing does more damage then good.
Is the car in front or the cashier putting a gun to your head to pay for the next person's meal? Give me break guys. There's no coercion or grand conspiracy going on here.
 
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wazup

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Jun 12, 2010
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Is the car in front or the cashier putting a gun to your head to pay for the next person's meal? Give me break guys. There's no coercion or grand conspiracy going on here.
You don't get it, starting it off in the first place is absurd. Paying for a strangers meal or coffee who doesn't need it is not paying anything forward.
 
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Jasmina

Well-known member
Jun 11, 2013
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See, I am the opposite, I think there is something to be said for gracefully accepting a gift in that scenario. It makes the other person feel like they've given something of value in the relationship (even a business one). You smile, say thanks, and move on. You don't have to loop anything.

I recently started a project that helped others, and one of the people involved asked if they could send me a gift as thanks and appreciation, I accepted the offer and thanked them. Done. Everyone walked away happy.



Sometimes two people are stuck in a "nice" loop, and a way to exit the loop is to say "just pay it forward"

Recently I had the most pleasant customer in the UK, he bought my product, there was an issue with the product and I replaced it, to me that is just normal business practice to ensure your customer gets what they paid for. He was so nice, he wanted to send me something as a gift, but I just told him to pay it forward.
 
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explorerzip

Well-known member
Jul 27, 2006
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You don't get it, starting it off in the first place is absurd. Paying for a strangers meal or coffee who doesn't need it is not paying anything forward.
I do see the bigger picture though. It was a kind gesture by one person to another person. Maybe the next person needs a free meal or maybe not. They could be having a tough day and the free meal brightens their day just that little bit. You do realize that these small things can cheer people up right? It's okay if you don't believe in this so-called nonsense, but why criticize people who do? Again, you're not obliged to start or continue the trend.

Further you have this idea that you're being taken advantage of because the person in front of you decided to do something that you wouldn't do. As if you don't have any free will to decide if you want to participate or not? As if the restaurant is automatically adding a $50 charge to your bill just in case you want to pay for the next person?
 

HungSowel

Well-known member
Mar 3, 2017
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See, I am the opposite, I think there is something to be said for gracefully accepting a gift in that scenario. It makes the other person feel like they've given something of value in the relationship (even a business one). You smile, say thanks, and move on. You don't have to loop anything.

I recently started a project that helped others, and one of the people involved asked if they could send me a gift as thanks and appreciation, I accepted the offer and thanked them. Done. Everyone walked away happy.
When a customer decides to buy my product, that is equivalent to me getting a hug from them and I make money and I build my brand name, which is a great deal for me. Even with the replacement, I still made money. I would feel guilty if I accepted his gift. He was such a nice guy, I hope he does not get eaten by wolves among us.
 

|2 /-\ | /|/

Well-known member
Mar 5, 2015
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Is the car in front or the cashier putting a gun to your head to pay for the next person's meal? Give me break guys. There's no coercion or grand conspiracy going on here.
People give for different reasons. Sometimes they need validation and do it to feel good about themselves and some do it because others do it and for approval and to avoid embarrassment.

Is it really an effective strategy to put people in a situation where they feel like giving is being forced down their throats gently lol

Think about it. When you are in a grocery store and they keep asking you with each bill do you want to donate to this and that charity.

How about the givers who are the silent ones who don’t ask for recognition, who don’t need to do it to feel better about their existence and they just give when they want tobecause they love people and don’t expect anything in return.

 
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curvluvr

Well-known member
Mar 28, 2017
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I don't think that the "pay-it-forward" system applies in a drive-thru lineup.
For one thing, you're paying for some anonymous guy in the car behind you. I might do it to someone in an actual line if there were a reason to show this generosity, but not to the car behind me.
And the pay-it-forward isn't supposed to happen to the next guy in line. If that continues, everybody ends up paying for the next car in line, and not their own. So on average, really nobody benefits from the generosty, because everybody paid for one meal... it just happened NOT to be their own, but the next guy's in line.

Pay-it-Forward should be extended in a new situation. Maybe the guy who got the free meal or coffee at McDonald's may decide to pay it forward the next time he's in line somewhere. But not in the same line, for God's sake!
 

explorerzip

Well-known member
Jul 27, 2006
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People give for different reasons. Sometimes they need validation and do it to feel good about themselves and some do it because others do it and for approval and to avoid embarrassment.

Is it really an effective strategy to put people in a situation where they feel like giving is being forced down their throats gently lol

Think about it. When you are in a grocery store and they keep asking you with each bill do you want to donate to this and that charity.

How about the givers who are the silent ones who don’t ask for recognition, who don’t need to do it to feel better about their existence and they just give when they want tobecause they love people and don’t expect anything in return.

Of course I understand that people have different reasons for charity and that's their choice. Like you said, there are also people that do random acts of kindness 'just because' and don't expect anything in return. People can also chose not to be charitable and that is perfectly fine. Why comment or criticize those that are charitable then?

Yet the OP still insists that there's some unspoken rule to be charitable when the person in front does it, which is just plain ludicrous.

If you're one of those people that don't like to be charitable then DON'T DO IT regardless if you're the 1st, 2nd or 100th person in line. People refuse to to be charitable all the time.

Please enlighten me as to how exactly are you being forced "overtly" or "gently" to pay it forward IN A DRIVE THRU?

I have encountered many cashiers, Sally Ann, Boy Scouts, World Vision, or people coming to my door asking for donations and I've never felt forced either overtly or gently into giving. I just say not interested and continue on my day.

If someone tries to guilt-trip me into giving then I definitely would not give anything.
 

Jasmina

Well-known member
Jun 11, 2013
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Toronto
I doubt very much that my client felt like she'd been eaten by wolves when she sent the gift and thank you card... in fact, I would wager she felt very good about it.

But by all means, neither of us is right or wrong, just have different perspectives. 🤷‍♀️

When a customer decides to buy my product, that is equivalent to me getting a hug from them and I make money and I build my brand name, which is a great deal for me. Even with the replacement, I still made money. I would feel guilty if I accepted his gift. He was such a nice guy, I hope he does not get eaten by wolves among us.
 
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HungSowel

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Mar 3, 2017
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I doubt very much that my client felt like she'd been eaten by wolves when she sent the gift and thank you card... in fact, I would wager she felt very good about it.

But by all means, neither of us is right or wrong, just have different perspectives. 🤷‍♀️
The wolves thing was a general statement, not applying it to your case, sorry if it seemed like that.
 
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dockyada

Member
Jun 2, 2018
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You left out the part they're not paying for my lunch
Read your own post: I read about a guy going through the McDonald's drive through, his order was coffee and muffin paid for previously

Key words: Paid for previously.

We all have real problems from time to time. This just isn't one of them.
 

squeezer

Well-known member
Jan 8, 2010
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I've thought about doing it when a hot girl is in the car behind me. I thought of paying it forward and handing the clerk my number to pass it on to the hottie in the car behind me. I haven't done it yet but I've thought about it and one day I will. I just hope it won't be the nerdy Tim Hortons clerk who decides to call me instead! :mad:
 

fall

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2010
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I am wondering how it works in drive-through. Let's say someone decides to pay for me, and, when I found it out, I decided to refuse his payment and pay for my own meal. Will the cashier has to cancel the previous transaction, make another one, accept my money, and then what? Keep c ash on hand until someone accepts it. Like "you order is $21.74 but the guy who was 2 cars before you already prepaid $12.79 of it. So, you can pay only $8.95). I bet, the cashier will be a happy guy doing all that :)
 
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